Chapter 1
Three months earlier.
“Assistant Director, what is this supposed to mean?”
“Hm? Why?”
Heeyoung, who had just checked the registered mail, approached Yuri with a baffled expression.
Yuri, who had been planting lettuce seedlings, tilted her head and removed her gardening gloves.
“…A certified notice of eviction for the occupant?”
The contents were simple: the ownership of the orphanage land had changed, and they were to vacate and settle the orphanage as soon as possible.
Within three months, no less.
Startled by the sudden notice, Yuri took the envelope and checked the sender.
“…Taeshinwoo Law Office?”
It was an official certified document sent from a law firm.
Unable to make sense of the situation, Yuri immediately dialed the number printed on the envelope.
But for some reason, despite it being well past midday, the call wouldn’t go through—only the ringing tone continued endlessly.
“Yuri, do you think the Director knew about this? What on earth is going on…?”
Heeyoung let out a sigh, clearly sensing that something was wrong.
Yuri gently reassured her and untied the apron she was wearing.
“…I’ll go find out. Don’t worry.”
Two years ago, Director Mok Dongyeop—Yuri’s mentor—collapsed from a stroke.
Since then, the orphanage had been thrown into turmoil, and Yuri had suddenly found herself in the position of Assistant Director, struggling to keep things running.
Even managing the orphanage alone was already overwhelming—yet now an eviction notice?
The sudden certified letter had caught her off guard, but she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve gone to Gangnam…”
Aside from a hospital visit years ago for Yuhan’s health, she’d had no reason to go there.
The youngest, Yuhan, had been born with a congenital disability and could not live without help.
Paralyzed in both legs since birth, and as if that weren’t enough, he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of four. They had traveled all the way to Gangnam for treatment, but there had been little improvement.
Perhaps that was why Yuri felt especially concerned about him.
But Yuhan wasn’t the only child who needed protection.
Including those preparing to become independent this year, nearly twenty children were currently living at the orphanage.
At the very least, Yuri hoped the orphanage could hold on until the remaining children were able to stand on their own.
“…Sigh.”
If only the Director were still here, she wouldn’t feel this anxious…
As worries piled upon worries, her expression grew darker.
By the time she came back to herself, she had already arrived in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam—what had once felt impossibly far away.
She stood still amidst the towering buildings and the chaotic array of commercial signs.
For a moment, unsure which direction to go, she hesitated.
“Taeshinwoo Law Office…”
Fortunately, contrary to her worries, the law office was located along the main road.
It was simply a matter of walking straight.
After roughly gauging her position, Yuri checked the map on her phone and began to move.
“Ah.”
After about five minutes on foot, she spotted a sign reading “Taeshinwoo Law Office” on the side of a building so tall it made her neck ache just looking up.
“…Wow.”
Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the building, Yuri felt a bit intimidated.
She hadn’t even had the chance to properly speak with the original sponsor who had owned the land, and she knew nothing about the new owner either.
What could she possibly accomplish by coming here?
‘It’ll be a miracle if they don’t kick me out at the entrance.’
Perhaps it was that creeping sense of inferiority—despite having come all this way with determination, she found herself hesitating at the entrance.
But soon, Yuri clenched her fists tightly.
“Get a grip, Song Yuri. You’re the Assistant Director—are you really going to be scared of something like this?”
That was unacceptable. No matter what, she needed to find out what was going on.
Just as she steeled herself and was about to step inside—
“Oh—sorry!”
Lost in thought, she failed to watch where she was going and collided head-on with a man in a suit.
His solid build sent her recoiling backward, and she dropped the eco-bag slung over her shoulder.
The documents inside spilled out, scattering across the ground.
“Ah.”
For some reason, everything seemed to be going wrong today.
She hurriedly crouched down to gather the papers before the wind could carry them away. Just then, someone approached.
Looking up, she saw the man she had bumped into.
A well-built man, strikingly handsome at a glance.
He had the kind of rare, refined good looks that stood out immediately.
But Yuri didn’t have the luxury of admiring his face—not when he was stepping on her documents.
“Um, excuse me… could you please move your foot…?”
She reached toward his shoe to retrieve the remaining papers.
“Hope Orphanage?”
Instead of complying, a low, cold voice came in response.
Men in black suits radiated an intimidating presence.
At the center stood the man, staring intently at her—it made her feel uneasy.
Brushing the dirt off her documents, Yuri stood up, trying to ignore his persistent gaze.
Despite noticing her discomfort, he made no move to look away.
“Do you… know our orphanage?”
“……”
“Well, um… we received a certified notice addressed to the orphanage… Are you perhaps an employee here?”
At Yuri’s cautious question, asked with clear, innocent eyes, the man smiled softly—an expression that contrasted sharply with his cold impression.
Yet despite the smile, his aura remained distant, difficult to approach.
“Um, if you’re not an employee here, I’m actually in a bit of a hurry…”
Feeling intimidated, Yuri tried to quietly step aside.
But the man blocked her path.
He watched as she awkwardly tried to escape his presence.
Her clothes were outdated, and she wore no makeup—yet strangely, she didn’t look unfashionable.
Perhaps it was her naturally balanced proportions.
Enough to pique the interest of a man who normally had no interest in others.
Sensing his deliberate obstruction, she finally spoke.
“W-why are you doing this?”
Though her body trembled slightly, her gaze remained steady.
He found that rather interesting.
With a slight gesture of his chin, he dismissed the unnecessary men around him. They immediately stepped back, leaving the two alone.
After glancing around indifferently, he leaned closer and spoke softly to the trembling woman before him.
“Come with me.”
“…Excuse me?”
With no explanation, he simply told her to follow him.
Yuri suddenly recalled the joking warning Heeyoung had given her before they parted.
‘Even if a stranger offers you snacks, don’t follow him!’
The man in front of her wasn’t exactly an “old man,” but he was definitely suspicious.
Whether they were bodyguards or aides—no, to be honest, the four or five men surrounding him looked intimidating enough to pass for gangsters.
And he acted as though it were completely normal.
From the moment they first met, his overwhelming presence had been pressing down on her, leaving her unable to move freely.
It was only natural that she remained on guard.
“You… do work at Taeshinwoo Law Office, right?”
“Taeshinwoo. The one who sent that—I’m the one.”
Gesturing toward the documents in her arms, the man finally revealed his identity.
Yuri was momentarily speechless.
“…What?”
The unexpected revelation seemed to short-circuit her thoughts.
She had imagined all sorts of scenarios about meeting the sender of the notice on her way to Gangnam.
But not this.
“Oh… I—I see.”
“Fifteen minutes. No—ten.”
“…Excuse me?”
Unlike the flustered Yuri, the man calmly rolled up his sleeve and checked the time on his watch.
“That’s all the time I can give you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You’re lucky to have run into me at just the right moment.”
His voice, dripping with arrogance as if granting her a favor, was enough to leave Yuri utterly dumbfounded.
